Concrete Brewery Flooring - Now On Tap

See the creative ways breweries are using concrete floor coatingsAnne Balogh, ConcreteNetwork.com columnist

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This concrete floor at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, Escondido, Calif., was acid stained in rich bronze and walnut colors and sealed with a polyurethane coating.

The floor in the brewing area of Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens (behind the window) is concrete as well, coated with a chemical- and heat-resistant urethane cement.

The concrete floor in the brewing room at El Cajon Brewing Co. in California is protected by an epoxy colored with Westcoat’s ruby metallic Liquid Dazzle.

A gray urethane cement topcoat gives the brewing room at Societe Brewing Co. in San Diego a sleek, industrial look.

Acid stains and dyes are often used in tasting rooms because they impart a warm color and patina and give floors a natural organic feel. In Stone World Bistro & Gardens tasting room, Westcoat Fast Stain in brown was applied to the floor after it was prepped by diamond grinding.

Another example of a tasting room floor treated with a stain. Here two colors of Westcoat water-based stain were used for a mottled look, followed by sealing with a clear epoxy and satin polyurethane.

Even home brewers are catching on to the advantages of concrete flooring. This brewery in the San Diego home of American Homebrewers Association member Harold Gulbransen has poured concrete flooring jointed in a square pattern and colored with acid stain for a mottled look. A polyurethane sealer was applied as the final finish. The same treatment was used on the outdoor patio.

At this brewery, concrete was also used on the walls. A thin microtopping was applied (TC-4 cement with WP-8 polymer), troweled smooth, and then stained with same colors as the floor.

WHY CHOOSE CONCRETE FOR A BREWERY

Durable in high-traffic locations

Versatile design options - limitless choice of colors and textures

Anti-slip coatings can be applied to the surface

Resistant to stains when sealed with a polyurethane

Easier to keep clean than tile and alternative flooring materials

Sustainable - restore the concrete you already have, earn LEED points

Chances are the next time you visit your local watering hole, whether it’s a brewery or wine bistro, you’ll encounter concrete flooring rather than the typical tile or ceramic floor often found in these facilities. You’ll find them not only behind the scenes where the beer is being made, but also in the tasting rooms where it’s being consumed. Concrete floors are being used more often in these environments because of their performance attributes as well as their design versatility. The projects shown here, most of which were completed by Life Deck Coating Installations, San Diego, showcase the variety of looks that can be achieved, ranging from utilitarian to highly decorative depending on the type of treatment applied.

As you might expect, floors in these facilities are subject to frequent spills and staining, as well as heavy foot traffic. Concrete protected by a high-performance coating is virtually impervious to these wear conditions. “Caustic chemicals and thermal shock are always a concern in these environments, so they require a much more durable system that is anti-slip as well,” says Todd Seabroch, project consultant at Life Deck, which exclusively uses products from Westcoat Specialty Coating Systems.

Paul Koury, president of Westcoat, recommends the use of a heavy-duty urethane cement coating in brewing rooms. “This is the most popular product going in breweries. It incorporates cement in a urethane polymer and is very chemical resistant, very durable. One of its key attributes is that it handles thermal shock and won’t pop off if hot water is spilled. Most standard epoxies will melt at 130 to 140 degrees,” he says. Koury also warns against using acrylic sealers in brewing facilities because they offer no chemical resistance and they tend to be porous, allowing bacteria to penetrate.

In tasting rooms and bistros where customers are being served, the appearance of the floor is as important as its durability and stain resistance. In these areas, a popular treatment for concrete floors is the use of stains or dyes protected by a polyurethane sealer. “Most tasting rooms are done in stained concrete that has been processed by grinding the floor with a planetary grinder, mainly because of the warm color and patina that it offers. The processed and stained concrete has an inviting organic, natural feel to it,” says Seaboch.

Koury stresses that proper surface preparation is the key to good performance. “The winning combination for a floor that is going to last is to properly sand and grind the surface first. This opens up the concrete and allows the stain and sealer to penetrate. The color goes deep and the sealer goes deep, which makes the treatment longer lasting,” he says.

More brewery owners are also choosing concrete floors because they are easier to keep clean than tile and alternative flooring materials, since they have no grout lines that can trap dirt and bacteria. “Concrete floor maintenance usually entails mopping the floors with mild degreasers and periodically waxing to keep up the sheen or maintain traffic wear patterns,” says Seaboch.

Koury says that polyurethane sealers resist stains and can easily be cleaned with a low pH cleaner, even just vinegar and water. Harsh chemicals are usually not needed.

Concrete is a greener flooring option as well, notes Koury, because you can restore and save the existing concrete instead of repouring or covering it with another material that won’t hold up.